1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the method and apparatus for improving the fuel efficiency of gasoline internal combustion engines and improved energy recovery, in particular in rotary power plant systems.
2. Related Art
There is voluminous art relating to the subject matter of the present invention and any attempt to select specific examples of that art would be superfluous. However, two references cited by the inventor in copending application Ser. No. 160,628 filed June 18, 1980, which are relevant are:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,002 to Williams issued Sept. 19, 1972, which discloses a rotary internal combustion engine with pivotal sleeve valves driven by a cam, and pre-compressed fuel injection; and
U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,727 to Marcoux, issued Nov. 18, 1969, which discloses a rotary combustion engine with dual intake ports, dual chambers and pre-compression of combustion gases.
In every internal combustion engine, a great deal of energy is lost by several routes. The first and most obvious is mechanical friction loss and is not the subject matter of this invention, except in regard to the rotary engine which may have more mechanical advantage than reciprocating piston engines. A second and also obvious energy loss is the exothermic energy of combustion which along with frictional heat is normally dispensed by cooling means such as radiators, cooling vanes and the like. A third less obvious energy loss, however, one that is widely studied is the incomplete or inadequate combustion of the hydrocarbon fuels in the engine.
The present invention addresses the latter two problems or sources of energy. It is a feature of the present invention that it is a combination of elements directed to heat recovery and improved combustion. It is an advantage of the present invention that means are provided to obtain the combination of elements and the improvement of energy recovery and utilization in internal combustion engines. These and other features and advantages will become apparent from the following descriptions.